Hunter Long Trade Raises More Questions for Cardinals After Jaguars Deal

On roster cut-down day, where do the Arizona Cardinals go from here?

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Hunter Long (84) catches a pass before an NFL preseason football matchup at EverBank Stadum on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals are a bit trade happy at the moment.

A day after the Cardinals traded running back Corey Kiner to the New England Patriots, the organization is making another deal.

Multiple insiders are reporting the Cardinals are acquiring tight end Hunter Long from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Arizona is sending a 2028 sixth-round pick to Jacksonville for Long and a 2028 seventh-rounder.

The Cardinals add to their tight end room while now having two seventh-round picks in the 2028 NFL Draft, though the acquisition only opens the curtain for larger problems.

Hunter Long's Arrival Raises Cardinals Questions

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Hunter Long (84) looks on during a joint Buccaneers‑Jaguars NFL practice at the Miller Electric Center on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cardinals' tight end room is in a bit of flux entering final roster cuts.

Trey McBride obviously is firmly established in his role, though every player underneath arrives with some sort of question.

Typical TE2 Elijah Higgins hadn't played in all of preseason due to a concussion before logging several snaps in the team's finale in Green Bay. When healthy, he's undoubtedly their top pass-catching option behind McBride at the position.

Yet the biggest eye-opener here comes with Tip Reiman. Reiman, considered to be one of the team's top in-line blockers, has remained on the PUP list through the entirety of camp. He's still healing from a severe ankle injury suffered early in the 2025 season.

Reiman could begin the year on reserve/PUP, which would see him miss the first four games of 2026. Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur previously suggested his status was up in the air for the regular season opener, which is a massive switch from earlier in the summer when it was suggested he could be ready for training camp.

Enter Long, who has spent prior time with LaFleur during a stint with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023/24. Long's thought to be a strong run blocker, and with his trade acquisition, he's a guarantee to land on the initial 53-man roster.

Is Reiman healthy? Will he land on some sort of reserve list? Do the Cardinals believe Higgins is ready for the regular season?

Arizona is projected to run plenty of 12 and 13 personnel this coming season, so most projections have the team carrying four tight ends on the roster. Will this be the case if/when Reiman arrives off PUP/Reserve?

Final roster cuts are due at 3:00 PM AZ time. Long will make the roster, that's for sure.

However, more questions emerge about Arizona's immediate future at the tight end position.